american male, 29

Age:29
Sex:m
Nationality:united states
Education:college graduate (bachelor’s)
Occupation:firefighter

What did you think on Romania and Romanians before your first contacts with this country or its inhabitants?
Originally, I thought it was a mythical place; perpetually dark and full of vampires. Then, I thought it was a central city (Bucharest), run by the mafia, surrounded by mountains and peasants. My last opinion, before entering the country, was formed by the Bulgarians I had met just prior: Romania was a place to be avoided, full of evil Gypsies and killers. Any intelligent opinion I had about the country came from Balkan Ghosts, a book by Robert D. Kaplan.

Did this image change after getting to know a Romanian or after visiting the country? How?
Of course. I discovered, as in my country, the true mafia were the politicians, and the average Romanian was an honest, hard-working person. And I found I rather liked gypsies. The idea of one big metropolis, surrounded by villages and peasants, was disproved by the cosmopolitanism of the Transylvanian cities.

Describe in a few word your best encounter with a Romanian.
Easy: getting drunk and chopping wood with locals from Surdesti, in Maramures. Not a very intellectual encounter, but the most fun one.

Describe in a few word your worst encounter with a Romanian.
No one specific encounter, but the thing that angers me: the intransparency of the government and politics, which trickles down to a personal level like this: you need to grease palms( i.e. the patronage system, i.e. bribery) to get things done.

Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanians in general?
Brutally honest. Best dark senses of humor this side of Ireland. Self-deprecating. Beautiful.

Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanian women?
Lithe. Lovely. Intense.

Which words come to your mind when you think about Romanian men?
Direct. Open. Sure of themselves.


What is the age you associate Romania with?
A middle-aged man who just took a youth elixir.


What is the drink you associate Romania with?
Tuica, of course.


What are the brands you associate Romania with?
Dacia.


Name 3 proeminant Romanians
Grigorescu, Stephan cel Mare, Ceausescu.



What time of the day you associate Romania
With Sunset.

Name the country you associate Romania
With Austria and Russia, equally.


What is the main differnce betweend Romania and your country
The peasant culture still exists here. Ours has gone, unfortunately.